Therapeutic Methods / Treatment of Children and Adolescents
Analytical Psychotherapy:
The method is based on the theory that mental disorders originate from unconscious conflicts that might have occurred during early childhood and adolescence. The mental disorder is then interpretated as an unsuccessful attempt to cope with the conflict. The fact alone that this unconscious conflict is made conscious can contribute considerably to a real solution, following the tradition of the Delphi oracle leitmotif »Know thyself«.
Another hypothesis is that situations that cause severe stress during a persons’ childhood and adolescence result in an insufficient development of the so-called ego-functions (moving action forward towards an objective, planning, decision-making, experience of autonomy etc.). Later on in life, conflicts will emerge in stressful life situations that call for the above-mentioned ego-functions. During the therapeutic process, the attempt is made to give an impulse for the maturing process of the ego-functions. Severe stress and traumata experienced during adulthood can also result in instability of the mental equilibrium. In these cases, the attempt will be made to reestablish and reinforce the mental structures needed for the solution-finding process.
Behavioral Therapy:
Based on two models of learning theory, the behavioral therapy assumes the presence of two basic patterns as the cause of mental disorders:
The first is the pattern of »learning from role models«, meaning that by learning from an example (father, mother, friends, the media etc.), a certain behavior is identified, copied and applied, regardless of whether it is beneficial for ones’ own health or development. On the other hand, the therapy is based on the hypothesis that the conflicts and stressful situations that occur during several stages of life are always solved applying the method that appears best at that particular moment. In case that similar conflicts and stressful situations occur later on in life in another context, first the same solution strategy is applied, even if it is no longer adequate (»the force of habit«). A detailed analysis of the behavior is required, along with an according correction of the behavior, in order to discover and train oneself in the application of other possible solutions.
Auto-Suggestive Methods:
The best known methods are hypnosis, autogenic training and progressive muscle relaxation (the Jacobson method). They all have in common that the patient attains a state of deep relaxation by means of simple affirmations or formulas. Thus, it is possible to ease acute stress, tension and pain as well as to find better solutions in conflict situations. However, it is also possible to reinforce the inner calmness and composure in order to be better prepared for situations that cause stress and tension. Auto-suggestive methods are applied during treatment of chronic and acute pain, anxiety and panic, insomnia, obsessive and compulsive disorders, addictive diseases, relationship conflicts etc.
Personality Development:
During the course of their lifetime, people repeatedly arrive at crossroads. Here, events happen that the individual may often not rationally understand, nor grasp. They can be a burden, they isolate and make the person uncertain, they can frighten him or her and they can even lead to a development of a mental disorder. By applying the methods described above, the attention can be focused on perhaps necessary, if not painful development steps to be taken. The symptoms can be interpretated in a context where they appear as beneficial for personality development. More often than not, through this change of perspective and through a new interpretation, the symptoms, experienced as a burden before the treatment, can result in relief, and a necessarily new orientation.
My work include ideas of Christian ethics (»the search of oneself is always a search of God«, the biography of Christ as an example of the first individual process of self-realization of our culture, over 2000 years ago etc.), without being attached to one specific denomination.
Training in Self-Confidence:
In our world filled with technology, especially children and adolescents feel a growing need to get to know the limits of their mental and physical strength. These experiences are absolutely necessary in order to be aware of and expand ones’ personal limits, but also in order to respect the limits of other people.
As one example, I am offering climbing for children and adolescents (but also for adults), since this sport includes the whole range of physical demand, precision, equilibrium training, endurance, attention training and experience of ones’ limit (by training in different levels of difficulty and heights), that can be adapted to the situation of each individual. Other sports can be offered as well, according to agreement and definition of personal objectives.
Couple and Family Therapy:
My work with couples and families include the systematic application of therapeutic methods, in order to discover, stimulate and reinforce the possibilities of problem solving that are available in the vast majority of the cases.
Psychiatric Treatment of Children and Adolescents:
I am working with children and adolescents, generally from 9 years on, in individual sessions (problems at school, family conflicts, hyperkinetic syndrome etc.).
The cooperation of the family is indispensable. Therefore, the rule is the involvement of parents, siblings or other people who can make an important contribution to the healing process.
Fee:
Unfortunately, the insurance companies have repeatedly limited the possibilities of coverage regarding certain therapy methods for patients who have a compulsory health insurance, as recently on January 1st, 2004.
Only the costs of three therapeutic methods (analytical psychotherapy, behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis) of a range of renowned psychotherapy methods are authorized for reimbursement, according to the beneficial catalogue of the compulsory health insurance companies.
However, a solution regarding the payment of fees can be found in most individual cases.
